Improvement in or relating to rules, more particularly ruling lines on paper



Jan. 26, 1954 P A ELLISON 2,666,991

IMPROVEMENT IN OR RELATING TO RULES, MORE PARTICULARLY RULING LINES ON PAPER Filed Aug. 2, 1952 m INVENTOR.

PZ/IUPABRA/MM ELL/50A! Patented Jan. 26, 1954 IMPROVEMENT IN OR RELATING TO RULES, I

MORE PARTICULARLY RULING LINES ON PAPER Philip A. Ellison, Pinetown, Natal, Union of South Africa Application August 2, 1952, Serial No. 302,378 4 Claims. (01. 33-107) This invention relates to rules fo the guidance of pen or pencil points in the ruling of lines, and provides a construction thereof particularly useful to bookkeepers, accountants and others requiring frequently to rule linesas, for instance, on the pages of ledgers, books, or the like, where the constant lifting and laying of the ordinary rule between desk and page and/or the mislayings of such rule are sources of considerably inconvenienee, if not irritation, and/or loss of time. The invention provides a rule comprising a member presenting a suitable ruling edge and having means for attaching it in a simple manner to a finger, e. g. the index finger, of the hand ordinarily employed for manipulating the conventional rule during its use.

According to the invention the said means comprises a tubular sleeve Or the like suitably attached. to or integral with the said member and designed to fit, moderately firmly, as a ring or thimble over the index or other finger of the aforesaid hand, particularly on the middle section of such finger, the axis of the sleeve being conveniently arranged at an inclination, or other suitable disposition, to the ruling edge, such that with the said hand then placed in a natural and comfortable palm-downward position on the page or the like, the ruling edge lies transversely of the page and is easily adjusted by movement of the finger into the desired, e. g. horizontal, setting for use.

An important feature of the device according to the present invention is its permitting the finger carrying it still to be used for other purposes also, and this without the other fingers being in any way impeded in their use as by the ruling edge member passing below them or across them. Freedom of the rule-carrying finger to bend and a general freedom of all fingers for handling other objects are further advantages obtainable according to this invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is that which is now to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of part of the back of a left hand of which the first or index finger is shown fitted with the device;

Figure 2 is an underside view of the device; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.

The device shown in the drawings comprises an oblong rectangular plate or like portion I with one long edge providing the ruling edge 2 and an extension of the material from the corner 3a of the other long edge 3 and one of the short edges 4 extending outwardly away from the ruling edge at an angle of some thereto. The extension 6 merges into a tubular sleeve 5 the axis :c--:c of which lies below the general plane of the plate or like portion and its extension, and substantially parallel to the latter.

The sleeve 5 is made a comfortable push fit over the index finger A, so as to stay in place over the middle section thereof so long as the device is required to be used in the manner aforesaid.

The device may be handed, for use on the left hand as shown or on the right hand, the extension 6 and sleeve 5 projecting from either end of the plate or like portion, i. e. either to- Wards the left or towards the right, for fixing on, for carrying by, the left-hand or on the righthand respectively.

The device described may be made up simply, cheaply and in a light form as desirable, e. g. to a negligible weight of a mere fraction of an ounce, from a single blank of aluminum or like metal plate of developed outline designed to provide the oblong portion I, a rolled over or bevelled and thus stiffened ruling edge along it (the drawings showing a roll 2a), and the extension 6 with wings capable of being rolled inwardly towards one another to form the illustrated longitudinally split and springy sleeve portion 5. It may, however, be made in many diiferent ways and/or from material other than metal plate, e. g. by moulding in one of the so-called plastics.

The device may be of such proportions and size (as denoted by the drawings) as to present a ruling edge 2 of only some 2" to 3" length, which may be suflicient for many purposes. Such a relatively short rule may, however, be extended, if desired, by the provision of extension rods or the like of suitable length arranged fo attachment as required, e. g. by screw joints, to either or both ends as 4 and 4a of the aforesaid plate or like portion for this purpose, or extension members may be provided in an extensible telescopic combination with the main ruling edge portion of the device.

The ruling edge, and/ or extensions if provided, in any construction of the device may, if desired, be divided off by a suitably applied linear scale.

What I claim is:

1. A ruling device for support solely by a single finger of one hand so as to leave other fingers free, comprising a plate portion of relatively nar-, row substantially oblong outline presenting one of two long edges as a ruling edge and having an extension obliquely directed outwardly from and beyond the region of one corner of the other in the ruling-edge presenting plate portion, ex-t tension and sleeve formation are co-integrally formed from a single blank.

4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the ruling-edge presenting plate portion, extension and sleeve formation are co-integrally formed from a single blank of light metal plate.

PHILIP A. ELLISON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 648,409 Hazeltine May 1, 1900 955,879 Jackson Apr. 26, 1910 

